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Nashville SC captain, USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman to leave club in free agency
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- Nashville SC captain, USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman to leave club in free agency
Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman will leave the club in free agency this offseason, general manager Mike Jacobs confirmed on Nov. 12.
Zimmerman, a member of the United States men's national soccer team , spent the past six seasons in Nashville and served as team captain in 2025, the final year of his contract. He is a four-time MLS All-Star, five-time Best XI selection and two-time Defender of the Year.
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"Walker is forever tied to the history of our club, when you think about him being a legacy player," Jacobs said. " . . . He leaves here in very, very good standing and a very good relationship with our players and staff, and I wish him well wherever he goes."
Zimmerman, who turned 32 in May, was one of the original acquisitions for Nashville as an MLS franchise. Already established as one of the league's top center backs, he came to Nashville in a trade with Los Angeles FC in February 2020. Later that month, he scored the first goal in NSC history against Atlanta United .
Zimmerman was named Defender of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and earned Best XI honors in each of his first four seasons with Nashville, during which he led one of the league's strongest defenses. NSC gave up just 1.02 goals per game from 2020 to 2023 and tied for the fewest goals allowed in MLS in 2021 and 2023. The team also reached the MLS playoffs in all four seasons.
MORE: Why Nashville SC is both proud and disappointed after season-ending playoff loss to Inter Miami
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After Nashville missed the playoffs in 2024, Zimmerman helped the club return to form this season with a 16-6-12 record, good for 54 points and a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Nashville also won the U.S. Open Cup championship , the first trophy in club history. Its season ended on Nov. 8 with a loss to Inter Miami in the first round of the playoffs.
Zimmerman appeared in 172 games across all competitions during six seasons with Nashville, scoring 16 goals. While he missed time in 2025 with a concussion and a knee injury, he started 16 games in MLS play and provided two assists.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 08: Walker Zimmerman #25 of Nashville SC controls the ball during the 2025 MLS Cup Playoff match between Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
What Walker Zimmerman leaving means for Nashville SC
Zimmerman earned $3.46 million in 2025, making him the 28th-highest paid player in MLS. He was one of Nashville's three designated players, who are allowed to earn a salary that normally would put them outside their team's salary cap. Forwards Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge are Nashville's other two DPs.
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With Zimmerman leaving, Nashville has more financial flexibility. It can look to sign a third designated player to replace him, or it can opt to have two DPs and four U-22 Initiative players. The U-22 Initiative allows teams to sign players 22 or younger at a reduced budget charge. Nashville currently has three U-22 players: wingers Ahmed Qasem and Jonathan Perez and midfielder Patrick Yazbek .
Zimmerman's leadership has been invaluable to Nashville, which often struggled in past seasons when he was unable to play. But it had more success in 2025, finishing tied as the ninth-best defense in terms of goals allowed, with Zimmerman starting less than half its games.
Nashville is set to go into 2026 with Jack Maher , Jeisson Palacios, Josh Bauer and Chris Applewhite under contract at center back. Maher and Palacios started 29 and 21 games, respectively, while Bauer spent much of the season as a backup at left and right back. Applewhite, 18, is one of Nashville's homegrown players.
Nashville also has been linked to Ghanaian center back Maxwell Woledzi, according to a report from The Athletic . Woledzi, 24, currently plays for Fredrikstad in Norway .
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Nashville will release its full list of roster decisions at a later date. MLS free agency opens on Dec. 10.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: USMNT's Walker Zimmerman to leave Nashville SC in free agency
